Neuro bi-plane technology gets even more precise

Less than a decade ago, we brought Oregon’s most advanced “neuro bi-plane” technology to Providence St. Vincent Medical Center, giving specially trained doctors the latest tools to remove clots, repair aneurysms and perform other delicate brain procedures without open surgery.

Since then a new neuro bi-plane lab has opened across town at Providence Portland Medical Center.

Like the original, the new procedure lab comes equipped with specialized machinery and tools, including the noted bi-plane camera, which can snap highly detailed photos of the patient’s brain from two distinct angles, recording 30 frames per second.

The physician can rotate the images to view the brain’s blood vessels from different angles. The images, displayed on a monitor, are used to help the physician guide a catheter from the patient’s groin up to the brain, where tiny instruments can remove blood clots, prevent an aneurysm from bursting, or block the blood supply to an arteriovenous malformation.

Now showing in 3-D

The new bi-plane lab offers even more precise imaging, including three-dimensional mapping and an advanced visual aid called a "CT scan overlay.” The lab at Providence St. Vincent also will be upgraded with the same improved imaging.

“The field of neurointerventional surgery has revolutionized the care of patients with brain and spinal blood vessel disorders, such as aneurysms,” says Vivek R. Deshmukh, M.D., F.A.C.S., medical director of Providence Neurointerventional Services. “This state-of-the-art neurointerventional lab at Providence Portland Medical Center enables us to offer cutting-edge techniques to treat even the most complex disorders while offering greater patient safety and comfort.”

The lab provides higher image quality for better treatment accuracy. Its three-dimensional capabilities enhance the surgeon’s understanding of even the most difficult vascular disorders.

“We can immediately evaluate patients with CT scans in the angiography suite,” Dr. Deshmukh says. Typically, the patient would be taken to another part of the hospital for post-procedure images. “The advance gives the surgeon the information required to determine if the procedure was carried out safely in a much shorter time, thereby optimizing the likelihood of an excellent outcome.”

A new generation of neurosurgeons

Dr. Deshmukh joined Providence Brain and Spine Institute from The George Washington University Hospital in Washington, D.C., where he was director of cerebrovascular and endovascular neurosurgery.

He gained national attention in 2006 when he performed emergency surgery on U.S. Sen. Tim Johnson, who had a life-threatening arteriovenous malformation in his brain. At the time, the outcome of Johnson’s illness might have determined the balance of power in the U.S. Senate. (The South Dakota Democrat recovered and remains in office.)

Dr. Deshmukh completed three fellowships at the prestigious Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Ariz., and is one of just a few specialists in the country cross-trained in both neurosurgery and minimally invasive techniques.

“A new generation of neurosurgeons can now offer both the latest minimally invasive interventional techniques as well as the more established surgical procedures,” Dr. Deshmukh says. “These cross-trained neurosurgeons can choose treatments based on patient-specific criteria rather than their own biases. Ultimately, patients are the beneficiaries of this shift in neurosurgical care, and we are pleased to offer this comprehensive approach at Providence.”

Providence Health & Services in Oregon is a not-for-profit Catholic network of hospitals, care centers, health plans, physicians, clinics, home health care and affiliated services guided by a Mission of caring that the Sisters of Providence began in the West nearly 160 years ago.